Bangalore 6 February, 2024: The CBCI reelected Abp. Mar Andrews Thazhath of Trichur as its President, Abp. Geroge Antonysamy as its first Vice President and Bp. Joseph Mar Thomas of Bathery as its second Vice President. Abp. Anil Couto of Delhi as its Secretary General.
The elections, held on February 6, 2024, marked a significant moment for the CBCI as it continues to address pertinent issues facing the Church and society. The theme of the 36th General Body meeting, “Church’s Response to the Current Socio-Political Situation in the Country and the Benefits and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence,”. The meeting is set to conclude on February 7, 2024.
Abp. George Antonysamy of Madras Mylapore is the Vice President of the CCBI and Abp. Anil Couto of Delhi is also the Secretary General of the CCBI. CCBI is the Episcopal Conference of the Latin Catholic Church in India.
CBCI serves as the assembly of the Bishops of the Latin, Syro Malabar, and Syro Malankara sui iuris Churches in India.
Abp. Andrews Thazhath
Archbishop Andrews was born at Pudukkad, in Trichur district on 13 December 1951. He was ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Trichur on 14 March 1977. He holds Bachelor’s Degree in Theology and Doctor’s Degree in Eastern Canon Law (DOCL) form the Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome. He was nominated the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Trichur on 19 March 2004 when he was serving as the president of the Syro-Malabar Major Archiepiscopal Ordinary Tribunal of Ernakulam – Angamaly, the Syncellus of the Archeparchy, the Working Chairman and Managing Director of Jeevan Telecasting Corporation and the President of the Oriental Canon Law Society of India.
He was ordained Bishop on the 1 May 2004. He was appointed as the Archbishop of Trichur on 22 January 2007. He was the Secretary General and President of the Kerala Catholic Bishop’s Council (KCBC) and the Chairman of the KCBC Education Commission. He was the First Vice President of the CBCI.
Pope Francis appointed him in 2021 as one of the members of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. The Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts is a dicastery of the Roman Curia, which interprets the laws of the Church. Abp. Andrews Thazhath is a world-renowned expert in Oriental Code of Canon Law.
Abp. George Antonysamy
Archbishop George Antonysamy was born on 15 February1952 in Trichy, Tamilnadu. He completed theology studies from Urban University, Rome and was ordained priest on 19 November 1980 in Trichy. After one year as assistant parish priest at the Holy Redeemer’s Minor Basilica, Trichy, he was sent to Rome for higher studies in Pontifical Ecclesial Academy.
In 2002, Pope St. John Paul II appointed him as the charge d’affaires of the Vatican embassy in Jordan. On 4 August 2005, he was appointed as titular Archbishop of Sulci in Sardinia, Italy, by Pope Benedict XVI and had his episcopal ordination on 21 September 2005 in Trichy. He was simultaneously appointed as the apostolic nuncio to Gambia, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, an office which he holds until now. At the age of 60 Pope Benedict XVI has appointed him as the Archbishop of Madras and Mylapore on 21 November 2012.
He was elected as the Vice President of the CCBI three times from 2019 to 2023. He was the former Chairman of the CCBI Commission for Canon Law and Legislative Texts from 2015 to 2019. He was the Chairman of the St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore from 2020 onwards. Pope Francis appointed him as one of the members of members of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples on 17 November 2020.
Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas
Bishop Joseph Mar Thomas was born as Joseph Konnath in the village of Vadaserikkara in the district of Pathanamthitta, on May 13, 1952. He He joined the St. Aloysius Seminary in June 1968. He entered Pontifical Seminary, Alwaye, for completing bachelors degree in theology. Later as part of his priestly studies. He was ordained priest on Dec. 23, 1978. After his ordination Father Joseph Konnathu served in various parishes. In 1979, he was sent to Kollam (Kadappakkada) as the first resident vicar of the St. Thomas Malankara Catholic Church, Kadappakada.
From 1986 he served as lecturer in the faculty of economics at Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum. After completing six years of service in the Minor Seminary, he was appointed as the ecclesiastical district vicar of Trivandrum and the vicar of the St. Mary’s Metropolitan Church, Pattom.
In 1998, he contested the Kerala University Senate election as an independent candidate and became senate member. In 2000, he was appointed as a member of School Curriculum Committee, headed by the education minister, Government of Kerala.
On Jan. 5, 2005 Pope John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of Trivandrum and apostolic Visitator to North America and Europe. He was ordained bishop on Feb. 19, 2005 at the St. Mary’s Cathedral Church. Bishop Joseph Thomas was appointed as the third bishop of the eparchy of Bathery. The installation of the new bishop was held on April 13, 2010.
Archbishop Anil Joseph Couto
Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto was born on September 22, 1954 in Porvorim Village of Bardez, the Archdiocese of Goa. In 1967 he joined the minor seminary in Goa. He completed philosophy in 1973 and did regency in 1976 at Boys Town, Prem Nagar, Quepem, Goa. In 1977 he joined the Archdiocese of Delhi and completed theology studies in 1981 from Vidyajyoti college of theological studies.
He was ordained priest on February 8, 1981. In 1981 he went for mission experience at Varanasi. In 1982 (four months) he was sent as an Assistant parish priest at St. Joseph’s Church, NIT-5, Faridabad. He was appointed Priest-in-Charge of ‘Prabhat’, Catholic Church, Rohtak (1982-1988 ). In 1988 he was appointed Assistant Parish Priest at St. Michael’s Church, Prasad Nagar and Principal of St. Michael’s Junior School.
In 1991 he became the Rector of ‘Pratiksha’, Major Seminary, Delhi. He Completed M.Th. in Ecumenism at Vidyajyoti (1991 – 1994). He holds doctorate in Ecumenical Theology from St. Thomas Aquinas Pontifical University (Angelicum), Rome (1994-1998). On his return in 1998 he was appointed Rector of ‘Vinay Gurukul’ Minor Seminary, Gurgaon. He was appointed Episcopal Vicar in 1999. He was the Executive Secretary to the CCBI Commission for Ecumenism from 1999-2002.
He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Delhi and Titular Bishop of Cenculiana on January 17, 2001 and ordained Bishop on March 11, 2001. He was appointed Bishop of Jalandhar on February 24, 2007 and installed as Bishop of Jalandhar on April 16, 2007. He was appointed Archbishop of Delhi on November 30, 2012 and installed as Archbishop of Delhi on January 20, 2013. He was elected as the Secretary General of the CCBI in 2917 at its 29th Plenary Assembly held at Bhopal.
By Catholic Connect Reporter